davis.dakota•19d agoProlific Poster

Met a guy at the recycling center who changed how I sort my plastic

I was dropping off my usual haphazard pile of containers last month at the King Street facility when this older guy in a truck sighed and pulled out two bottles I'd missed. He said those black plastic trays go in the trash because the sensors can't see them, which I had no clue about after 5 years of recycling. Now I check every single number before tossing it in the bin. Anyone else run into weird sorting rules at their local center?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_charlie19d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, the sensors can't see black plastic? That's insane. I've been throwing those black takeout trays in the recycling bin for years, feeling good about myself. Like ten years probably. Now I'm just sitting here thinking about all those trips to the curb. Man, what a waste. And here I thought I was helping but I was just messing up the whole system. Good to know though, seriously. Gotta check everything now too.

parker22419d ago

Wow, that recycling center guy sounds like a real lifesaver. @the_charlie I'm right there with you on feeling guilty about all those black trays I've been tossing in the bin. But here's what gets me - if the sensors can't see black plastic, why do recycling centers accept them at all? Seems like they'd just make that rule clear from the start instead of letting us mess it up for years.